Moving-picture machine.



B. A. BRIGDEN.

Movmfs PICTURE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPTL19,I9I2. RENEWED NOV, 17,1914. 1,143,607, Patented June 22, 1915 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

2 I M \\P me m M M m I ,Ilm \M I I,

AIIorrwu B. A. BRIGDEN.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9. I9I2. RENEWED NOV. 17.1914.

1,143,607. Patented Jun 22, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

grg @W M I AII-ornmI B. A. BRIGDEN.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPLIS. 1912. RENEwED Nov. 17.19I4.

1,143,607. Patented June 22, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- cInnncxI-.Imnnnnnn' isUT A. BmGnEN, or cnEvELAND, omo.

MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE.'

` Spcicatin of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Application inea 'september 1e, 19i2, serii iro. 721,250. Renewed November 17, 1914.` serial No. 872,649.

T all whom it may oonoem: v

Be it lmown that I, BURT A. lnrGDEN, citizen of the United States, reslding at i Cleveland, in the` county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following is a speciication. I

This invention relates to moving picture machines of the type .using a continuously moving film, as. distinguished from those havin an intermittently moving film, the

, latter aving several defects which need not be particularly referred to.

In machines of the continuously movlng film type, efforts vhave been made to correctl the flicker or shaking of the pictures 'incident to the slight misplacement, lateral or position relative to the lens, and for this 'purpose movin progressive or both of the film at the time of exposure as compared to the preceding prisms and also moving lenses or objectlves have been employed, as well as movable mirrors. The chief defect of the mirror and prism type is that they absorb light, and such machines of the revolving or moving lens type as have come to my attention are clearly impossible or defecf tive for various reasons, such as the defective arc found in the type of machines having lenses which rotate 1n a plane at a right angle to the axis of the lenses.

It is the object of my invention to remedy these defects and toprovide a machine with a continuously moving film in which the pictures will be produced without iicker or vibration, and for this purpose I employ a4 revolving series of objectives, in connection with a traveling film and a shutter, the film and the objectives traveling in the same direction in the same plane, across the field, in such manner that each succeeding lens takes up the work before the preceding lens is put out of operation by the shutter. Thereby a continuous series of pictures is produced.

VvThe machine is capable of use either as a camera, or as a projecting apparatus, the latter by the addition of a proper source of v light directed through the film and the objectives. Also by use of a ray filter or color screen with each lens, and the whole series arranged in proper sequence, either the bicolor vor tri-color method of recording and reproducing in colors is greatly improved. The tri-color method is not successful with intermittent feed machines, because the atof exposure, mechanism for operating .the

var ious parts, and for focusing the lenses while in motion, and a shutter adapted for movlng lenses.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 1s a plan view of the machine, parts being removed., Fig. 2 is an elevation of the shutter mechanism. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section ofthe machine. Fig. 4' is a plan of the film flattening reel. Fig. 5 is a 'detail in plan of the focusing mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detail in section of the condensing lens and mirror and driving ear for sprocket and flattening reel. Fig. is a detail in section of'one of the focusing devices.l Fig. 8 is a detail in section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the various positions of the shutters during the exposure through each lens. k10 is a diagram of a field. Fig. 11 is a vertical view of eld with radial lenses op- -erating on film. Fig. 12 illustrates two views of field viz: (a) shows progression of exposure and (o) shows results of field reversed and inverted. Fig. 13 is a detail of a color screen or ray filter. f

Referring specifically to the drawings, 12 indicates an outer casing of suitable shape to inclose the parts hereinafter described.

100 indicates a power shaft which extends through the casing and which ydrives a gear 37 thereon, said gear meshing with a gear 36 on an inner casing 6 which carries the obiectives 7 and which will be referred to here inafter as the lens carrier. This carrier 6 is provided with an inner horizontal partition 26 and with an internal ring gear 61, friction tight therein, which operates the focusing devices as hereinafter explained.

10 is an inner chamber or cylindrical box which is relatively fixed, being supported by a plate 11 connected to the outer casing 12.

The wall of the chamber 10 has an openingV 27 at one side, through which the image is received or projected, saidiopening being linewith an opening 28 in the outer casing 12. The lm enters the chamber '10 over guide rollers and through aperture in plate 11, and passes around a conical roller `34, thence over guide rollers 14 and 15', thence across the film fiattening reel, thence over motion sprocket 17, guide rollers 18, 14 and conical roller 35, and out through the aperture in the casing and over guide rollers 13. The film may 'be supplied to and from any suitable winding reels, not shown.

The box or chamber 10 contains the flattening reel for the film. `This comprises a pair of upper and lower plates 16, each of which is provided with rollers 32 across which the film passes, said filmbeing driven at uniform motion by a sproclget 17. lThe rollers 32 turn on pins 33 mounted at the ends of arms 75 which slide radially in undercut giooves 74 in the plates 16,.. and as the reel rotates the rolls 32 are caused to travel in a line parallel to the outer periphery of the lens carrier.v past the exposure opening 27, by means of a xed plate 78 'having a cam groove 77 in which travels rollers 32 mounted on pins 33 at the inner ends of the arms 74, as shown in Fig. 4, obtaining a fiat film moving perpendicularly to the axis of the lens operating on this part of the film duringits transit o f opening 27 ,'or in other words, the film is thus flattened and as the fiattening reel moves in unison with the lenses the filmis perpendicular to the axis of the lens during each exposure.

For driving the reel, and the driving sprocket, the plate 26 'carried by the casing 6 has a female friction clutch member 25, .f

the surface of which is engaged atthe center by a male clutch member 24 which'ca'rries, within the chamber 16, a gear 23 which meshes with a gear 18 which drives gears 20, 21, and 21 and 22 and 22', the first carrying the sprocket 17 'and the last two .carry- -ing the reel plates and thusdriving the fiat* tening reel.

For projecting, I provide a condenser 69 inthe casing through which light fromv any suitable source is transmitted to a mirror 70 supported by a frame connected with condenser support, which reflects light through the film and objectives and the openings 27 and 28 to the suitable surface on which the pictures are reproduced. The casing 6 turns on a sleeve bearing 9 on the outer casing, and in this sleeve 9y is a square rod 53 having at its outer end mutilated threads or ribs 66 engaged bythe threaded end of a lever 68 the rod 53 in or out. At its inner end this rod carries a circular grooved disk 54 be with a gear 58 on the shaft. 59 which has 'a comes operative.

gear y60 meshing with the internal ring gear 61 which is frictionally carried by the vcasing 6, b't which is capable of movement relative thereto. The gear 61 engages a series vof gears 62, corresponding in number and position to the objectives, said gears 62 being mounted on stub shafts 63 (see Fig-7) which are carried in plate 26. Each shaft 63 has a head 64 with a cam slot 64 which receives a pin 65 projecting through a longitudinal slot in a fixed barrel 101, from the inner barrel 7 which holds,the lenses 7.

By means of the lever 68, the rod 53 may be moved in or out .to engage eithercflange of the disk 54 with the hea-d 55 on the shaft 56, to drive said shaft in either direction', and the motion of this shaft is communicated, greatly reduced, to the gear 61, by means of the connecting gearing 58, 59 and 60, whereby said gear 61 is revolved or moved relative to the rotating casing 6, and this relative movement being communicated throughthe gears 62, the heads64 are caused to turn on lthe axis of theshafts 63 which, by means ofthe cam groove 64 and the ins 65, advances or retracts the barrel 7 to focus the objectives, after which, by opposite movement of the lever 68, the disk 54 is disengaged from the head 55 and the parts run idly. Thereby the lenses may be focused during the operation of the machine.

The shutters are unique, 'and are constructed for the purpose of producing the successive exposures at proper "times, .and in proper positions, to vaccord with the movement lof the objectives. As a camera each vindividual picture is produced-by a single lens, but a second picture is begun before thel receding one is finished. As a projector, uring the passage of the lenses and the film across the exposure opening, a condition or period will exist during which the Apicture will be produced in part through one lens and in part through -another'or others, causingto be shown on the screen a complete. picture at every instant. The shutter is so constructed that-the image or picture 'as shown through one of the lenses is cut off after the following lens be- The shutter therefore comprises two rotating thin opaque plates 52 and 52 with arcuate recesseswhich in plate 52 gradually decreases in width in a helical curve from a pointwhere full exposure begins to a point where the, curve merges into the outer circumferential line. In plate 52 the vrecess gradually increases in width-after covering the lensvwhich has completed its exposure. Said plates rotate in the same direction, and at the oint where two. objectives j are uncovere 4as ,shown in Fig. 2, -a part of the picture on the'screen comes from eachlens, that is, the part in line with the opening 71, between suddenly cut off by one blade after the following one" is uncovered by the other, the shutter following the movement of the lenses' across the yaperture 28, whereby instead of an intermittent exposure or illumination, a p actically continuous exposure is effected, an the picture at times being com- 1-0 ,posed of parts projected through two lenses.

The shutter, therefore, has the effect of a moving slot traveling with the objectives and at the same speed across the exposure opening in one direction and quickly beginning the next movement across said opening. For operating the shutter, the gear 36 meshes, with the gear 38, the shaft of which carries a spiral gear 39 which drives spiral gear 40 on the shaft 49 which, by means of meshing gears 41 and 43 and 42 and 44v drives the shafts4 50 and 50 which carry the s iral gears 45 and 46 which drive the gears 4 and 48 on the shafts 51 and 51 of the shutters 52 and 52', the gearing being properl proportioned to produce a movement o the shutters which corresponds with the revolution of the objectives across the exposure plane. e

It will be seen that instead of the operation of then intermittent film. feed, or the intermittent exposure of successive portions of a continuous ilm, with'devices for correcting the angularity of the rays, this apparatus produces a practically continuous picture built up by progressive exposure of a picture through successive lenses, the exposure of one lens'being successively cut off and that of another lens being added so that the work of a succeeding lens commences before that ofa preceding lens is finished, tlie picture thus at times being produced by light passing through more than one objective. Theflattening of the lilm as it passes across-theiex osure position perpendicular to the laxislfoV the lens is, it will be understood, essential to produce a perfect focus at 'all parts of the picture.

The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment or machine shown and described, but may be modified in various ways within the scope. thereof.

l With theI width of opening 71 .restricted land an increased number of lenses in a carrier with larger periphery, reducing the angle formed by the axes ofadjoining `lenses, and the shutters properly spaced, a

plurality of lensesgreater than two maybe operative at the same time without giving a greater angle of field. Under this condition theshutters could be omitted with the.V

result of a slight vignetting on each end of each picture.

The possibilities ,of the machine for color work have been referred to above, and in this use proper color screens `or ray filters 103 will be placed in `vthe grooves 102 in the lens carrier, behind the several lenses, in` proper sequence.

It may be stated, and will be apparent from Fig. l1, that the film moves faster than the lens carrier, in order to bring into position for exposure, fresh parts of the film as a lens picks up new parts of the field, and the excess speed of the film exceeds the speed of the lenses an amount suicient to bring such new part of the film in position. In other words, the film moves in unison .with the movement of the image as it is successively built up by the travel of keach objective across the exposure opening and the relative movement of the slot 71, which determines the'section of field recorded. The slot 71 represents the angle of the field necessary, in projecting, to make,-with those of its operative neighbors, a complete image on the screen.- For example, if the lenses are spaced four degrees axis to axis, each lens Vcan only project four degrees of the field` Without overlapping and producing at that combination of a traveling film, and a succession of radial objectives, traveling in the same direction as the film across the exposure opening, and a shutter, the opening of which at each operation travels with the movement of the objectives across said openl 3. In moving picture apparatus, the combination of a circular rotatable carrier hav-v ing a central recess, a series of lenses disposed radially on said carrier, around said recess, andmeans within said recess for supporting and advancing a traveling picture strip in position for exposure through said lenses successively.

4. In a moving Y picture apparatus', the

j combination of` a c1rcular revolving carrier having a central recess, a series of radial objectives mounted on said carrier, a rea-v tively iixed Vcasing located within said recess,

and having an' exposure opening, and means located within said casing'to advance a film across said opening, in position for exposure v through the objectives successively. l

5. In moving' picture apparatus, the cornbination of a revolving ring of radial objectives and means to make exposures 1,55 i 11." In a' moving picture apparatus, the

6. 1n moving piet/ure apparatus, the-.com-

. bination of a revolving carrier, a. series of objectives. provided with adalstable holders -and mounted radially onl said carrier, and

gearing 'operatively connected to eachy holder, and means to actua-te saidf gearing-'to simultaneously adjust the holders, to` focus the objectives while in motion, and means to expose a yfilm through said objectives successively.

7. In. moving picture apparatus, the com! binationf of a revolvingl carrier, a series of' lens holders: mounted radially thereon and adjustable to. focus the lenses, means. toexpose a. picture strip insuccession throughE said lenses, a gear Wheel mounted on said:

carrier and movable normallytherewith and also movable relatively thereto, adjusting devices. between saidgear wheel and theholders and operated: by thex gear wheel, andi means to. produce relative movement of theI gear Wheel andi the carrier duringrevolu.

tion. f

' 8. In. moving picture apparatus, thecom.- bination of a. revolving carrier, a series.- of' lens holders mounted radially. thereon. and

adjustable, to focus the lenses, means to ex- -pose a picture stripin succession.l through said lenses, a gear Wheel mounted on said' carrier Iand movablenormally therewith andalso movable relatively thereto, adjustingdevices between. said'.` gear wheel and the holders and operated by the gear Wheel, and means to produce relative movement of the gear wheel and' the carrier. in either direction during revolution. l i

9. In moving picture. apparatus, the1 combination of a series of traveling radial ob'- jectives,4 and means to. support andi advance a lmfor exposure through said objectives, including a revolving reel-providedl with rollers over which the film travels, across.

the exposure opening.

10. In a moving.` plcture'` apparatus, the

combination of a series of' traveling radiali combination* of' an annular lens carrier, the

objectives, and means toi support and advance alilm for exposure through said' objectives, including a revolving reel provided with rollers over which the vfilm travels andf means to shift the rollers tocause the film to travel in a plane perpendicular tothe axis offeachv lens across said exposure opening.-

- combina-tion of revolving series` ofobject-ives disposed: radially, means to advancefa' same.4 successively, saidA4 meansincluding a l` v rotary vreel provided with rollers .over which the film passes, and means to shiftjthe posi-u tion of certain of said rollers-tocause the l'm to `pass the exposure opening-in a plane perpendicular to the axis of each lens dur-f` ing.` exposure.

12. In a moving.` picture apparatus, the combination of an annular lens carrier, the lensesA being arranged radially in a series thereon. a-v casing Within the central recess of said carrier, means. to support and advancea picture lm in. sai recess, means to expose the ilnaz through said lenses successively, and a mirror located' in said recess and arranged to project light through the film and lenses, astheypass the exposure opening.

13.111. a moving picture apparatus, the combination of an annular lens carrier with a series of'lenses disposed radially thereon, a revolvin film carrier located' inthe central recess o the lens carrier, and. means to drive the. film carrier, including a friction clutch located at thelaxis of the lens carrier.

144. In a moving picture apparatus, the combination ofa revolving' carrier, a series of lenses mounted radially thereon, means to support and# advance a film for exposure through said lenses successively, and means `to focus the lenses including a disk with respect to which the carrier revolves, andgearing engageable with and driven by said disk and operating between the sameand the lenses.- toadj ,ustY the latter.

15. In a moving picture apparatus, 4the combination of a rotary carrier, a series of lenses disposed radially therein, and carriedj ingv a llml acrossft'he exposure opening in unison with themovement of the image of the field projected by the operating lens, and shutterA means to cause an exposure, opening to .travel with objectives across eld of vievv` andi to quickly begin the nextmovement f` 'across-said field. j

17; In, a moving picture apparatus, the

Vlensesbeing arrangedv radially thereonfeach lens fitted with aF ray filter or ,color screen and placed in proper se uence to produce approximately natural co ors when project. ed', 'a casing- Within a central recess of said` iycaarier,-means to support and" advance a picture lilm in saidrecess, means'to exposethev film through said lenses successively, and a mirror located in said recess and arranged to project lightthrough t l. film and, ray

filters or color screens an lenses as they l pass the exposure opening.

' 18. 'In a moving picture apparatus, the

combination of a chamber` havmg an ex- Uposure, openmg, a series of lenses revolving .around-T said chamber to pass acrosssal opening, and means to su port and advance a film in said chamber, be ind said opening.

19. In a `Vmoving picture apparatus, the combination of a rotary carrier, a succession of objectives carried thereby, said carrier.

posure through said objectives successively, and means for restricting the angle of the field exposed through each objective, to avoid parallax and form a complete image.

21. In a moving picture apparatus, the combination of a rotary carrier, a succession of radial objectives carried thereby and disposed at the same angle apart, means for supporting and advancing a traveling picture strip in position for exposure throu h a plurality of said objectives, and means or restricting the angle of the field exposed through each objective to an angle equal to that between the objectives.

In testimony whereof, I do aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. BURT A. BRIGDEN.

VWitnesses:

JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, STEDMAN J. RooxwELL. 

